Project management systems. Looking for alternatives to Basecamp

On writing the post, the link to the site with Basecamp alternatives found on the Habr open spaces led me. I am sure many have already come and watched the proposed alternatives. I decided to view them all. Based on the review results, 4 (+ 1 bonus) project management systems were selected, which can be called real Basecamp alternatives. Of these, three are slightly less than completely unknown in the open spaces of Habr (the search gives almost zero results), which gives me hope that this topic will tell you something new. Selection criteria and a brief overview of the systems under the cat ( careful screenshot traffic ~ 0.5 Mb ).

What are we looking for?

Basecamp is an excellent project management system. Their method of doing less really works and the products are really simple. The flip side of the coin is that the functionality is still not the richest, and the principles of adding new functions (read in Getting Real about this) do not inspire optimism for their speedy implementation. Therefore, we have to look for alternatives.

So, what I expect from the project management system:

• projects and tasks : each project can contain an unlimited number of tasks that can be collected in milestones (milestone), while there is an opportunity to discuss tasks. All changes in the project can be obtained by e-mail or RSS
• companies and contacts : I want not just a list of contacts, but with grouping them by company. Going into any contact and company you can see a list of related items. The client can put a source of attraction to keep track of the most selling sources.
• wiki-board : a certain board for drawing up documentation on projects, FAQ, descriptions of opportunities, etc. with shared access. Optimally with an API for exporting the final result to the selected site
• internal instant messenger for messaging within a project or the entire system
• consideration of the time to complete tasks : it is desirable to be able to take into account the time to complete each task and project as a whole For each employee, you can see what he does and how much time he spends.
• budget accounting : you also need to keep track of how much money and what was spent in the project and how much was received from the client
• invoicing : it is possible to form an invoice for payment to the client based on the tasks already entered, milestones or ex-post on the elapsed time
• project type sale : a type of project that describes the sale of goods from the catalog to the client
• reports and samples for various parameters from all data
• access control : it must be flexible
• cost : should be acceptable for buying by a small company (you know that according to ROCIT, the number of employees in 61% of Russian web studios is 1-5 people, and in 87% up to 10 with a turnover of 72% of studios up to 1 million per year rubles)

You can say that this functionality goes beyond the concept of a project management system and you will be right. But the reality is that it is necessary not only to monitor the status of tasks, but also to track customer payments and subcontractor payments (who said that accounting should do this?), It is desirable to issue invoices directly from the system, and also to take into account that a company may not only have services, but also goods whose sales also need to be considered. And to realize all this is not that very difficult.
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This functionality is of course implemented in many CRM-systems, but the CRM-system is not an application in the style of Getting Real. The interface of such systems leaves much to be desired. At one time I chose a web CRM system for the tasks described above. I stopped at 2 options, one of which used for some time. If habra people it will be interesting, you can devote another topic to this.

How to choose?

It is natural to choose only the number of supported functions is stupid. A monster with a huge number of possibilities and an absolutely non-usable interface will obviously win here. The systems presented below do not have some of the capabilities described above, but they have the potential to reach them. Therefore, the main selection criteria will be the clarity of the function, ease of use of the system and the maximum capacity from the list.

I want to clarify what the clarity of the function implementation means. Take the simplest opportunity to create a project. Someone makes the projects tab and the list of projects in them (I think everything is clear and understandable), others present the project as a desktop (as a result, I get a lot of duplicate each other desktops, in which there are actually no projects), Someone represents each project as a module (it is connected and configured, and displayed as a tab), for many projects, the tab is lost among other interface elements and it is still to be searched and searched, some implement everything as a tree (it is possible for someone convenient, but unfold endless trees There to find a contact or a project they are uncomfortable) ... In general, I saw a lot of options and the most convenient was banal tab projects.

For each system there will be no detailed comparison, but there will be a certain impression in the pictures from their use. It still seems to me that the most functional system will not be used if it is inconvenient to use. In general, I recommend all the systems described below for a closer look, and the choice is yours.

Teamwork Project Manager

pictures are clickable

Official site : teamworkpm.net
Free version : all features (except risks), limit to 2 active projects
Paid version : $ 12 / month - 5 active projects, $ 24 / month - 15 active projects

Very nice project management system. It satisfies almost all requirements, except for financial accounting. It is necessary to read the project budget and manage accounts elsewhere. I am glad that there is nothing superfluous. Excellent user interface, a lot of ajax and exactly in those places where it is needed.





The system is completely predictable, we choose a project - and we clearly see all the tasks and communication on it. To add a task to a list, message, or file to a project, you do not need to reload the page. And so everywhere.



There is a Russian-language interface (most of it has been translated, but sometimes English is also encountered). I know that users are so harsh that they read and speak Russian, English, and% your_variant% languages ​​equally well. However, the project management system is designed not only for the developer, but also for the client. In this case, the support of the Russian language is a big plus.

Summary : if you only need a project management system - this is your choice. Rich functionality, convenience and support of the Russian language. Given the availability of a free version for 2 projects, why not try it?

Deskway

pictures are clickable

Official site : deskaway.com
Free version : 30 day trial
Paid version : $ 10 / month - 10 active projects, $ 25 / month - 35 active projects

Functionally, this system is very similar to the Teamwork Project Manager. We also have a complete list of project management functions and the absence of any hints on financial accounting. However, there is no integrity of the system: in one case the page works without reloading, in another similar it requires it, somewhere the data is displayed in a modal window, and somewhere popup is used ...



The control interface is convenient and simple, but there are several controversial points. The menu has 3-4 levels, which is still a bit much. In the task menu drop-down menu, you can see the all tasks item and add a task. But nevertheless the interface solves the tasks. It is unlikely that you will get confused in the search for your project and tasks in it.



Summary : another project management system with user-friendly interface and sufficient functionality. You should not assume that this is an average rating, it is a high rating, because 90% of Basecamp alternatives cannot even provide this basic minimum. Try it, maybe you will like it more than me.

Intervals

pictures are clickable

Official site : myintervals.com
Free version : 30 day trial
Paid version : $ 20 / month - 15 active projects, $ 50 / month - 40 active projects

Immediately a small bug at the beginning: you can not create a domain that starts with a number :) But nothing, we continue. First look at the interface ... how confusing it all is. In fact, everything is not so scary. The interface is quite convenient if you deal with it and get used to it. Powerful filter systems, sorting and other content management capabilities allow you to manage your projects flexibly, but of course this affects the interface.



This project management system supports all major functions, but slightly more than previous systems. There is a little, here a little - the result is the most functional product in our review. In addition, there is finally a billing system based on the time spent, in which you can even set a list of your specialists and their rate.





Ajax is also used here, but not wherever it would be desirable. So to add a task, you have to click the add task button and wait for the page to load. On the other hand, when you hover the mouse on a task or project, you will instantly receive information about it in the help window. So developers just need to bring some parts of the interface to mind and you get a great tool for managing projects.

Summary : a more complex project management system than the previous ones. It does more than others, but not always better and faster. In the future, the most powerful tool for project management.

activeCollab

pictures are clickable

Official site : activecollab.com
Free version : 7-day trial
Paid version : $ 10 / month - extension of the demo version ( in fact, the SaaS version of the system judging by the description on the site can be extended only once, thanks to slatvick for clarification), $ 250-$ 500 - buying a separate copy of the system to install on your server

You probably already know this project management system. That it is called one of the main competitors of Basecamp, and also it periodically pops up on Habré in the topics about project management. Some of the users of the habr are already using it, and for the rest I will tell you more about the system.

The system interface is built around the project. Going into the project we need, we see all the tasks and files associated with it. Everything is very comfortable, beautiful and in place. Here we see project milestones, tasks / tickets, forums, files, wiki boards, and time management ... in general, everything you need to manage your project





Also worth noting is the functional billing and control of their payments. Still, there remains the feeling of a low elaboration of this functional. But this is better than nothing.



The assets of this system are user-friendly interface and good functionality, but its main advantage and difference from other systems is the ability to install the system to your hosting. Many refuse to use web-based project management systems for fear of the privacy of their personal data and their privacy. With this system you can keep all your projects with you.

Another advantage of the system follows from the previous one. Once we put it on our hosting, then we can modify it somehow (as part of the license of course). The site has already presented a catalog of modules for activeCollab , as well as localization for it , including the Russian language.



Well, the last advantage. See the quick add panel in the screenshot above? Just a couple of clicks to add a task or file to a project. Trifle, and time saves decently.

Summary : functional and convenient project management system with the ability to install on your hosting and support modules.

Worksection

the picture is clickable

Official site : worksection.com
Free version : basic features, limit to 2 active projects
Paid version : $ 9 / month - 5 active projects, $ 19 / month - 20 active projects

Probably the majority of habro users are already familiar with this project management system, and many already use it. Why is this system good? Native Russian language, great attention to usability, attention to detail, excellent implementation of existing functions. All this is enough to include this system as a bonus to this review. It makes no sense to describe it further, since There is an excellent review of the Worksection from Turbomilk. If you are still not familiar with this system, try it - you will like it.

What to use?

At the end of the review a logical question arises: what is better to use I will list the options, and you choose your own or offer an alternative:

• Web-based project management system : the main candidates are Teamwork Project Manager, Worksection and Basecamp itself
• project management system on your hosting : there is only one option - activeCollab
• CRM-system similar in functionality : if it is interesting, I can develop this topic in a separate topic
• your bike : it will certainly fully satisfy your needs, but the resources are spent, you need to pay for them not only with more convenient work on your projects. But selling it as a ready-made solution, given the abundance of competitors, is a task of a different order than writing the system itself.

UPD . Thank you all who suggested alternatives. I will definitely look at them all carefully and maybe find a more suitable tool for myself.